Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Walking Tour - Ticket Included
Description
Make the most of your time in Edinburgh with our guided walking tour that combines a walk on the historic Royal Mile and a guided visit inside Edinburgh Castle (entry included). The tour will begin on the Royal Mile, where your guide will lead you through cobbled streets, sharing fascinating stories of Scotland’s past and pointing out iconic landmarks like St. Giles' Cathedral, the colourful Victoria Street, and the Grassmarket with its vibrant atmosphere. Uncover Edinburgh castle's rich history and visit the Crown Jewels of Scotland, the Great Hall, and St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in the city. Learn about the dramatic life of Mary, Queen of Scots, and experience the One O’Clock Cannon firing. After the tour, you will have the opportunity to keep exploring the roofed buildings of the castle at your own pace.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our tour will start on the Royal Mile. Your tour guide will offer an introduction to the city and the history of the Old Town.
As we walk on the Royal Mile we will see some of the city 'closes' and understand what these narrow lanes were used for. We'll also stop at the Mercat Cross, a site once used for public announcements and punishments. Can you spot the unicorn at the top?
In front of the Mercat Cross we will see St. Giles Cathedral. We'll talk about the architecture of the most important church in Scotland, and discover the history of the Presbyterian religion. We will also walk to West Parliament Square to talk about the Act of Union.
We leave St. Giles behind us and proceed on the Royal Mile. On our way, we will point out the Heart of Midlothian and explain what this mosaic heart is. A few minutes later, we will enter Makars’ Court, just off the Royal Mile. Here, with the Writer’s Museum as a backdrop, we will talk about Scotland’s most important writers, including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
From the Writer's Museum we will walk down a few steps to get to Victoria Street, one of the most picturesque streets of the Old Town. As we walk down the street, you will see quirky shops and colourful facades.
As we reach the bottom of Victoria Street, we will see a large plaza in front of us. This is the Grassmarket, an area famous for its pubs, but with a very dark past!
From the Grassmarket we will take some steps to reach the Castle Esplanade. As we walk up the hill we will see the dark spike of the Hub, and explain what this building is. Once on the Castle Esplanade, we will enjoy stunning views of the city and see where the Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place.
It is finally time to enter Edinburgh Castle. Once inside, we’ll delve into the history and secrets of this building, and recall the fascinating stories of kings, queens, battles and sieges. After the guided tour you will have the opportunity to explore the indoor areas of the castle at your own pace.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Suitcases and large rucksacks are not permitted in Edinburgh castle.
- There will be 3 set of steps and 2 steep paths along the route.
- The tour will take place on the outdoor areas of the castle. After the guided visit you will have the time to visit the roofed buildings and the museums
- The company is not responsible for participants arriving late and missing the beginning of the tour. If the group is no longer at the meeting point when you arrive, please note that the first stop will be the Mercat Cross and the Old Parliament Square.
Reviews(2,118)
Mark was very informative, respectful of the businesses and people around us. It is a nice tour to do if you are running short on time but want to see a memorable piece of Edinburgh
The tour was entertaining as well as educational. Our guide, Paul, was very knowledgeable and provided information about Scottish history as well as the local area and kept the group’s interest throughout
Our guide, Xenon, was very knowledgeable about the history of Edinburgh. He was also a very good storyteller! He made the history come alive! He also was very good about keeping our group together through the crowds, and his voice was clear and strong.
The guide Mark was brilliant, lots of information and very engaging, lots of opportunity to ask questions and involved the whole group. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Great tour overall! Zenon was an incredibly knowledgeable and exttemrly personable guide...highly recommend
We did the 11am tour with Nicole and she totally nailed the timing so we could catch the 1pm gun at the castle. We happened to be there on day one of the Fringe Festival, so the Royal Mile was insanely crowded and loud with street performers everywhere. Somehow Nicole still managed to find quiet little spots to fill us in on the history without having to yell over the noise. She clearly knows the area inside and out, and her stories about Edinburgh, the Royal Mile, and the castle gave us a great feel for the city right off the bat. If you can request her, do it!
Our guide Phil was knowledgeable and engaging but he talked mostly about Scottish history. I was visiting Edinburgh and I was taking a tour of the Royal Mile. That's what I wanted to learn about. He said nothing about the buildings or the churches. We got to the castle and got a continuing non-stop history lesson on Scotland battles. A little about the castle. It started to rain. He could not take us into any buildings because he was not a castle tour guide. So we had to stand there in the rain listening while surrounding by buildings in which we could have taken shelter. We finally got so bored that we wandered away and went to look at the Scottish Crown Jewels. I really wanted to enjoy this tour but unfortunately it was not what I had hoped for. I toured the Royal Mile and I don't even know why it was called that because Phil didn't tell us.
This was truly one of the best tours I ever had. Naomi was phenomenal as a guide; knowledgeable, funny, sensitive to her tour participants’needs. In 2 hours we learned so much good information about the culture and history, perfect for our family.
Zenon was a great guide for our royal mile and edinburgh castle tour! The group stayed together great and he did an amazing job sharing so much knowledge about each of the stops, definitely recommended!
Mark was great! He is very knowledge and his communication and explanations of Scottish history was clear and easy to understand.
